Swordplay
by Sabina-san
Summary: After witnessing Chizuru's clash of swords with Saito, Hijikata decides to augment her training.


This is inspired by a scene in the second episode of the anime. It always bothered me that Chizuru had a little training in the use of her wakizashi; however, she rarely uses it. I wanted to see Chizuru use her sword more! Enjoy!

* * *

An ink-loaded brush was poised over washi paper made of kozo, ready to inscribe the thoughts of one Demon Vice Commander of the Shinsengumi - Hijikata Toshizou. The aforementioned author released a sigh as he began to commit his thoughts to paper in the form of a haiku. The words flowed quickly, and when he had finished, he looked upon the work with a furrowed brow. He set the brush aside and watched the black ink sink into the paper, drying to a permanency that almost created a sense of panic in him when he thought about others reading it. His, hopefully, secret indulgence in haiku was difficult to hide when it was committed to paper in such a way. He read through the short poem a few times before making a deep noise of annoyance in the back of his throat and crumpled the paper. He tossed the washi aside and let out another frustrated sigh. Yet another poem would be committed to flame.

He looked to his left to see his katana resting against the fusuma, and his eyes were drawn to the tiny ume blossoms carved into the scabbard. He sighed, wondering why it was so difficult to write of the beauty of the ume flower. As he contemplated his favorite flower, he heard Okita's raucous laughter ring through the building. His annoyance piqued. _What is so humorous about training?_ he wondered. He knew that his poor mood was related to his frustration with his poetry, but he still wanted to investigate. He hoped he wouldn't have to remind his men of the rules, especially Okita for he knew his temper would be taken out on them for his inability to write decent poetry.

Hijikata opened the shoji to the courtyard to see Saito and Chizuru squared off in battle stances. Chizuru's wakizashi was drawn and pointed towards Saito. Curiosity piqued, Hijikata stood in the frame of the open shoji to watch the proceedings. His first thoughts were to analyze their stances. A quick glance towards Saito revealed a perfect stance, and when his eyes rested on the the young girl, his eyes narrowed in thought. It wasn't a bad stance, but it was clearly that of a beginner. Hijikata was surprised that she even had a passable stance. He had never seen Chizuru draw her sword much less talk of any training she may have had. In all reality, Hijikata believed the sword she carried was merely for show in an attempt to ward off ronin who might take advantage of her. Despite this, Hijikata found himself feeling somewhat astonished by the tenacity emanating from her as she faced down a difficult foe.

The next thing that Hijikata felt was a sort of disappointment with Saito. As he gazed upon Saito's placid demeanor, he wondered why Saito thought it was appropriate to practice with a woman - a woman whom, Hijikata felt, could not defend herself from such a competent swordsman as he. A frown crossed his lips. Hijikata could feel Saito's strong warrior spirit emanating from the man. The young man was taking this challenge very seriously. Chizuru's warrior spirit was weak compared to his, which made Hijikata slightly worried. _She must know she can't win,_ Hijikata thought. He then began to scrutinize their body language. Hijikata could easily read Chizuru - her sword was out, ready to strike, though her blade was pointed upward. _So, she intends not to kill or wound._ Saito, on the other hand, remained neutral. His swords remained sheathed, which meant he was waiting for Chizuru to make the first move.

With a yell, Chizuru lunged toward Saito, her sword held up to complete a downward swing. Hijikata was pleased to see her speed. Hijikata caught a slight movement from Saito, and if he hadn't known it was coming, he would've missed the young man drawing his sword with split-second speed. The two swords clanged, and Hijikata saw Chizuru's wakizashi fly out of her hands. She seemed to have noticed as well, for she took a few more steps before she turned to face the direction in which she thought her sword had gone. Hijikata's stomach lurched when he saw Saito turn on his heel to swing his sword toward Chizuru's exposed neck. A part of him wanted to step in for her sake, but he knew he would never reach her in time.

Saito's blade stopped just short of her neck. She gasped in shock, and even Okita let out a cry. Hijikata stood completely still, his heart hammering against his rib cage. He slowly exhaled, releasing the tension in his body. So, Saito had decided to show the young one mercy. _I hope she has learned from this._ Saito stood back and unconsciously whipped his sword downward as if he was removing excess blood from the blade before sheathing it once more.

"What...what was that?" she said in shock, her eyes wavering with fear.

Okita stood from his place on the roka and retrieved the wakizashi from the dirt. "Hajime-kun is the master of the quick draw technique. If he had been serious, you would be dead." Okita handed the wakizashi back to the now visibly trembling girl.

Chizuru accepted the blade with a grateful air and returned it to the scabbard.

"Thank your teacher," Saito stated. "There was no hesitation in your blade."

Hijikata agreed with that assessment.

Chizuru peered up at Saito. "Huh?"

"I can see that you will not be an inconvenience to us outside headquarters. I will notify the Vice Commander-"

Hijikata stepped out of the shadows. "There will be no need."

He caught Chizuru's body going completely stiff at the sound of his voice, and her body snapped around to face where he was standing. Okita smirked, and Saito greeted him with his typical neutral stare. Hijikata stared at all three in turn, his gaze lingering on Chizuru. Her fear had quickly abated, and he noticed that she did not seem contrite at being discovered outside of her room engaging in activities that were not pre-approved by him. _Since when has she stood as straight as my men when I am around?_ he wondered. He remembered how she used to always bow to him in deference and would never meet his gaze. Now, she stared at him as if she was on equal footing with the men standing on either side of her. Hijikata marveled at her persistence, but he was also saddened by it. Since bringing her to headquarters, he had been attempting to keep her as segregated as possible from the men because he didn't want her involved in the affairs of the Shinsengumi. The more she knew, the more she would be drawn into an extremely dangerous world that she couldn't leave unless she was killed. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he allowed harm to come to this young woman, who only ended up with the Shinsengumi by chance. He knew if life had been different, she would still be in Edo, tucked away in relative safety.

"Chizuru-chan wishes to join the patrol," Okita stated.

"Absolutely not," Hijikata stated firmly.

"Please, Hijikata-san! I only wish to find my father! I can't do so when I'm stuck behind walls!"

"It is too dangerous," Hijikata replied. He was determined to not let her win this battle of wills. He felt he had already given her so much leeway already by allowing her to dine with the captains and assist with chores.

"She isn't completely defenseless," Saito stepped in. "She knows how to wield that sword. She may not to be a match for me, but it's enough."

Hijikata's eyes narrowed as he regarded Saito. "You would've killed her."

Saito sighed, and looked away. It was a confirmation of such information. If she had been a true opponent, Saito would have killed her quickly and with minimal effort. They all knew Chizuru would be a liability if she were to join the patrol. A brief silence descended on the crowd. Okita finally broke the silence by stretching his arms upward before placing them behind his head.

"We did say that we would help her find her father, and that we would only keep her until her father is found."

Hijikata knew what Okita was doing. He was playing on his apparently obvious regard for the safety of this young woman. The sooner they found her father, the sooner she could leave the Shinsengumi and no longer be Hijikata's responsibility. Hijikata was slightly annoyed that he was so easily preyed upon through his weaknesses, and he made a noise of disapproval at the back of his throat. He looked away from the trio, trying to hide the fact that Okita's argument was going to get them exactly what they were looking for.

"If you wish to join the patrol, you may," Hijikata said as he turned to leave. "But you will need to study the sword more. _I_ will teach you myself."

With that, he walked away, attempting to ignore the stares from Okita and Saito boring into his back. Chizuru audibly gasped.

"Thank you very much!" she called out.

Hijikata sighed as he walked through the shoji, shutting it behind him. He walked the roka back to his room, still feeling agitated. He was never going to be able to write that haiku now.

* * *

As Hijikata came to the shoji of the dojo, he was surprised to hear someone already in there. He knew his captains would be training outside with the rest of the troops as the dojo had become too small for the swell in their ranks. His suspicion was that Chizuru, ever eager to please, was hoping to make a good impression by arriving before her teacher. He sighed. He wished she wasn't so keen to go to her death. After all, a woman wasn't supposed to be on the battlefield or learning swordsmanship. It was the duty of men like Hijikata and the members of the Shinsengumi to protect those who needed it, and it was a point of honor and pride to the Vice Commander. It stung to have her ignore this so flippantly. _Then why train her?_ a tiny voice in the back of Hijikata's head challenged. He honestly didn't know why, except that she was a stubborn Edo woman who wouldn't back down until she was given what she wanted. This stubbornness wasn't from being indulged as a child, he could tell, but her insistence at being useful, even if that usefulness would be outside the realm of typical female behavior. If Hijikata was to be honest with himself, which he didn't totally want to be at this moment, he sort of liked her divergent outlook of her role as a woman among the Shinsengumi even if it did hurt his warrior pride a bit.

He let loose another sigh before he slid the shoji open to see Chizuru going through katas. She stopped mid-swing at the sound of the shoji and peered over toward Hijikata. Her body grew tense as she lowered her wakizashi. Hijikata could see a flash of fear at being caught doing something she hadn't been instructed to, and he felt slightly guilty that he made her feel that way. He stepped into the room as she slid the sword back into its scabbard and scrambled to her knees to bow.

"I thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to train me!" Chizuru stated with her face still angled to the wooden floor.

Hijikata waved it away. "I can't very well allow you to be killed on the streets of Kyoto. Kodo-san would never forgive me."

Chizuru lifted her head and again, her eyes met his as equals. Hijikata stood motionless for a brief moment as he regarded her. He could tell she was still wary of him, but she wasn't necessarily afraid that he would harm her. That he was grateful for, but he hoped that today, he could impart some realization of how dangerous going on patrol could be. He knew he couldn't go easy on her just because she was a woman. He motioned for her to get to her feet as he walked over to the wall where wooden bokken were displayed. Chizuru clambered to her feet as he took two off of the wall and presented her with one. She stared at it uncertainly before taking the sword into her hand.

"I thought...I thought we would be practicing with the real thing," she said quietly as if she was afraid to incite his anger.

"We will practice with these as it is clear to me you lack the resolve to kill."

The words came out harshly, and Hijikata sort of regretted his tone when he saw her flinch, but the message to her was quite clear - swords were not playthings, and the sooner she realized it, the sooner she would understand what it truly meant to wield such a weapon. Chizuru seemed to understand a little, and she removed her wakizashi from the waistband of her hakama and leaned it against the fusuma. She then turned to face Hijikata once more, and she found himself a little surprised to see the tenacity she had displayed in her short bout with Saito return. His lips pursed, his own resolve to teach her solidified. He nodded and beckoned her out to the middle of the floor.

"Go through your katas again. I noticed your stance yesterday was passable, but it needs work."

Chizuru stepped out into the middle of the floor, and she held her bokken out in front of her, her right hand positioned on the hilt above the left and her arms completely straight. Her right leg was placed in front of her left with some distance between the two with her left knee slightly bent. He rapped her right elbow with the tip of his bokken as he instructed, "Bend those elbows!" Chizuru let out a little yelp and then quickly adjusted her elbows. Hijikata noticed a little tear in the corner of her right eye, and he immediately felt a little regretful for striking her so hard. He wasn't about to apologize, but he would be a little more gentle going forward.

"The elbows will only straighten once you strike. If you strike with unbent elbows, your blow will not be as powerful. Use those elbows to infuse strength into your swing. Bent elbows will also help absorb the shock of your opponent's attack and help protect you from broken bones. Always be aware that there are few times when your arms are completely straight."

Chizuru nodded as she attempted to ignore the tear that was now slowly making its way out of the corner of her eye and down her cheek. She shook her head to clear it away, and set her face to one of pure determination. Hijikata was softened by her desire to not show him weakness, and it also reminded him that she was a young woman who could not be treated as harshly as his men. He could tell she wanted to impress him, and the tear was betraying her ability to do so. Hijikata decided to ignore the lone tear as he continued his instruction.

"Continue."

He watched her lift the bokken and then swing down as her right foot slid across the floor and her left followed it to land beside the right. As she lifted the bokken up once more, she stepped back, her feet never leaving the floor. He nodded in approval of her footwork as she swung a few more times. He then focused his attention on her swings, noting that she was now having some difficulty transitioning from bent elbows to straight in the course of her swing. He motioned for her stop, and she did so, her face questioning. Hijikata shook his head as he approached her, placing his bokken in the waistband of his hakama where he normally wore his own pair of swords. He came up behind her with his body slightly offset from hers to allow some movement next to her. He placed his hands on top of hers. He immediately noticed a slight tremor in her hands, and Hijikata looked down to see a light pink dusting her cheeks. _What...?_

It was true that the teacher never got this close to the student, and he supposed it was an intimate gesture, but he felt she would learn best by the feel of him completing the move with her as opposed to her just watching him. He began guiding her sword upward and then he swung downward as he slid forward, letting her feel the force he put behind his own swings. She let out another squeak of shock, and she lost her footing. Hijikata let the bokken fall to the floor with a clatter as he caught her mid-fall, stopping her knees from the hitting the floor. Chizuru's hands came to rest in the crook of his outstretched arm, and he could feel that her trembling had worsened. He let her stay like that for a moment to gather herself, though he couldn't help but notice the faint scent of ume in her hair. He inhaled deeply, finding her scent completely pleasing. She moved within his arm and he stepped back to allow her to stand straight. She turned to face him and bowed.

"Thank you, Hijikata-san," she murmured.

He noticed that the pink that had been in her cheeks was now turning a much deeper shade of the color. He knew she wasn't feeling injured, so his next thought was that she was embarrassed by what had just transpired. Hijikata didn't want to draw attention to her blush and make her more uncomfortable than she already was.

"Are you hurt?"

She shook her head as her eyes widened at his question. She dared to look up at him as if she was seeing a different person in front of her. Hijikata was, admittedly, a little put off by her stare. He couldn't very well have his reputation as the Demon Vice-Commander of the Shinsengumi be tarnished by her believing that he had a soft spot for those under his care and command. Though, he mused, since most of his captains were aware of this, he wouldn't be surprised if she already knew. He grew uncomfortable and broke eye contact with her in order to maintain some of his sternness, for he knew she wouldn't take him seriously if she knew just how much her well-being mattered to him.

"Did you feel the difference in my swing versus yours?"

She nodded. "Yes. You are much stronger than I could ever be."

Hijikata had to admit that he was rather pleased at her compliment, and he allowed himself a small smile. "With time, you may be able to swing a sword with as much strength, but not unless you fix those elbows!"

She nodded as she bent over to retrieve the forgotten bokken. "Yes, Hijikata-san."

"Now, did you feel where the strength of my swing changed?" he questioned, more than willing to return to swordplay rather than dwell on what his close proximity had done to her concentration. She nodded. "That moment is when you should straighten your elbows. I want to see you try again."

"Yes, sir!" Chizuru called out as she got into her stance and then repeated the sword swing.

This time, Hijikata felt the air stir from her bokken as it sliced the air. His hair ruffled slightly, and he found himself smiling in pleasure. She was a quick learner - he had to give her that. She also seemed to notice the difference in her swing, for a great grin broke out on her face, and when she had finished, she laughed.

"That was incredible! I can do it!"

Yes, he was glad she had fixed her stance, but Hijikata couldn't allow her small victory to lead to laziness. "So you can swing a sword properly. That won't be enough to save you on the streets when ronin attack."

The firmness in his voice put an end to her celebration. She appeared contrite at his words and stood with the bokken resting at her side. He eyed her with his icy gaze for a moment before sighing. "Continue to practice your swing. We will meet again tomorrow. If your katas have improved dramatically, we can begin learning defensive techniques."

"Can I still go out on patrol today?" Chizuru asked, hope evident in her tone.

Hijikata removed the bokken at his hip and replaced it on the wall. He then began to walk out of the dojo. "Yes, yes," he said as if there was no use arguing the point with her or the captains that would be accompanying her.

He heard her gasp of joy as he left the dojo. He walked along the roka towards his own room, reflecting back on the lesson. He still wasn't fully pleased or convinced that teaching her swordsmanship was a good idea, but if he couldn't be out there to protect her, then she needed some sort of skill. Still, she had proven that she was a willing student and that was a little comforting to Hijikata.

"How was the lesson?" Okita's voice sounded from behind him.

Hijikata exhaled in exasperation. "As to be expected."

He could hear the smirk in Okita's voice. "Still against her going out on patrol?"

Hijikata whirled around to face Okita. His features were stony, but that didn't wipe the knowing smile from Okita's face. Hijikata suspected that instead of training, Okita had been watching the pair at their lesson; therefore, knowing exactly what had happened. Hijikata could tell Okita assumed there was something between Hijikata and Chizuru that went beyond protector and ward. That thought served to annoy Hijikata.

"You know she will be nothing but a hindrance to whomever she is on patrol with."

"My argument remains the same, Hijikata. The sooner she finds her father-"

"Yes, I know," he ground out. "Still, she shouldn't be learning to fight like this!"

The exclamation hung in the air between them, and Hijikata realized that his words would provide confirmation of Okita's suspicions. He sighed and shook his head, his long hair whipping behind him. Okita's smirk had softened, and he laughed quietly. "Ah...what a bother."

"I am making it your responsibility to make sure no harm comes to her."

The gleam in Okita's green eyes was not missed. "Oh?"

Hijikata turned to continue his trek to his room. "You heard me."

"Of course."

Hijikata was glad to take his leave of Okita, and when he came to his room, he immediately went over to his desk where the washi, brush, and ink waited expectantly for him. He was still annoyed as he sat before the desk on a pillow and took up the brush. He wanted to write that haiku, but a sour disposition would make it difficult. His eyes flickered toward his katana where ume flowers danced on the scabbard. The sight of the small blossoms brought to mind their scent wafting from her hair. With a sigh, Hijikata thought about how unfair it was to Chizuru that she should have to live through such times and be forced into a role she had no business occupying. _Still...she is an incredible woman..._

The brush was dipped into the ink, and Hijikata began his haiku once more.


End file.
